Geographical game

ABSTRACT

The disclosed embodiment of the game comprises a board having outlines of the United States and the 50 States and a plurality of state pieces which are placeable in the state outlines. At the state capital of each piece is a hole for insertion therein during play of the flag of that state. Prior to play all the flags are mounted in a frame and on the frame are 50 tongues, one for each state. On one side of the tongue is the name of the state while on the other side of the tongue is the name of the capital of the state.

United States Patent 1191 Drcsak 1 Jan. 23, 1973 GEOGRAPHICAL GAME3,086,298 4/1963 Hamlin ..35/41 [76] Inventor: Frank Dl'CSlk, 5440H8I'01d Way, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Apt. No. 8, Los Angeles,Calif. 90027 399,442 8/1924 Germany 273/135 AB 170,231 10/1921 GreatBritain ..35/42 Flledr Sept-1,1970 202,007 8/1923 Gl'eatBritain ..35/40[21] Appl. No.: 68,619

Primary Examiner-Harland S. Skogquist Attmey1iarry Kotlar and Lewis B.Sternfels [52] 11.8. CI ..35/40, 273/130 G [51] Int. C1. "A631 3/04 57ABSTRACT LS8] Field of Search ..'35/40, 41, 42; 273/130 R,

' 273/130 G, 131 BB, 134 AC, 135 AB The disclosed embodiment of the gamecomprises a board having outlines of the United States and the 50 [56]Ref ren s Cit d States and a plurality of state pieces which areplaceable in the state outlines. At the state capital of each UNITEDSTATES PATENTS piece is a hole for insertion therein during play of the387,220 8/1888 FOrker .273 130 G flag that State- Prim Play the flagsare 635,596 /1399 H X mounted in a frame and on the frame are tongues,1,179,076 4/1916 Cruver ..273/G one for each state. On one side of thetongue is the 1,539,773 5/1925 Roth 73/ l BB X name of the state whileon the other side of the tongue Kreitler is the name of the capital ofthe tate 2,674,813 4/1954 Hutchinson ..35/41 2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figuresu," 5TH; rear-1 L am: o 1 w. ."..'-!E,'.'f.' r l l/liill f AR? 1' :21 LEMA." ,1 10

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GEOGRAPHICAL GAME The present invention relates to a game and, moreparticularly, a game utilized as a teaching aid.

In order to instruct people, especially children, it is necessary thattheir attention be held. Such instruction is most efficiently effectedwhen their interest can be maintained as opposed to learning by rote.There have been many ways in which this aim has been accomplished andthe present invention is directed to a very simple manner of instructingpeople through the medium of playing a game. In its particularembodiment, the present invention is directed toward learning the statesof the United States, their location, their state capitals, their stateflags, flowers, admission to the Union, etc. This embodiment, forlearning about the United States, is of particular importance in orderto instill interest and pride in the player, especially a child, for hiscountry so that he will have respect for the traditions and heritage ofhis country, as well as knowledge of its history and physical andgeographic characteristics. It is to be understood, of course, thatinstruction as to countries of the world and even planets of the solarsystem may be used instead of the United States and the several states.

In the present invention, the learning process is illustrativelyembodied for the United States and this embodiment utilizes a board onwhich the outlines of the United States and the several states areplaced. Each state is configured as a piece which is to be placed duringplay of the game in its particular state outline on the board. Thecapital of the state is noted by an opening therein. A plurality offlags supported on staffs are the state flags and one object of the gameis to have these flags positioned in the state by means of the staffinserted in the opening in the state. On the back of the flag may beinformation relating to the state such as when it was admitted to theUnion, its order of admission, its state flower, motto, certaingeographic, manufacturing, farming, etc., information, and the like.Further elements comprising tongues have the state name printed on oneside and the state capital printed on the other side. Both the flags andthe tongues are placed in a special frame prior to play and each stateflag has a number which corresponds to a number of the tongue in orderto aid in location and correspondence of the flags or tongues.Instructions for playing the game are placeable on a slide which may beslid in and out of the board. In addition, a score sheet may be placedon another slide which is also slideable into and from the board.Therefore, when the game is not played, the instruction and score cardslides are slid into the board and, conversely, when the game is played,the slides are slid out from the board.

In order to play the game, all the flags and tongues are placed in theframes and all the state pieces are placed in random manner to one sideof the board outline of the United States. Although one person may playthe game, more interest is generated when there are several players. Oneplayer begins the game and he is designated as the leader. The leadermay be selected by choice, by roll of dice, or he may be the winner of apreceding game. The leader selects a particular tongue and states eitherthe state name or the state capital, requesting the player to his leftto state the other of the capital or the state which the leader names.The second player then selects the flag of that state or state capitalnamed by the leader and further selects the state piece corresponding tothat state or capital named by the leader. This state piece is thenplaced in its proper position on the board outline and the flag staff isinserted in the opening provided in the piece. For each correct answeror correct placement of a piece, the second player gains a point. Foreach wrong answer, he obtains no points but is told what the correctanswer is so that he may learn that piece of information. Furtherinformation on the back of the flag may be asked for which extra pointsare given for the correct answer. The second player then proceeds as aleader with the player to his left and the game continues until allpieces are placed on the map. The points of each player are thentotalled and the player with the highest total wins the game.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a game.

Another object is the provision of a teaching aid.

Other aims and objects as well as a more complete understanding of thepresent invention will appear from the following explanation ofexemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a game board with two slides therein for rules of thegame and a scorecard;

FIG. 2 depicts the frame with state flags and statestate capital tonguesthereon;

FIG. 3 is a partial section of the board taken along lines 3-3 of FIG.2;

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate reverse sides of the tongues placeable on theframe;

FIG. 6 illustrates one of the flags insertable in the frame of FIG. 2;and

FIG. 7 illustrates one state piece placeable in the outline of FIG. 1.

Accordingly, with reference to FIG. 1, a game board 10 is shown with amap 12 of the United States in outline with the outlines 14 of theseveral states of the United States. Slidably received in the board areslides 16 and 18, slide 16 having the rules of the game thereon andslide 18 having a scorecard for the several players of the game.Placeable within the board are a plurality of pieces representing eachstate and which are sized to correspond with the state outline 14 of themap. Such a state piece is shown in FIG. 7 as piece 20 representing thestate of Texas. Piece 20 is placeable in state outline 20a of FIG. 1. Atthe state capital, Austin, of Texas state piece 20 is an opening 22.

A plurality of state flag elements, one of which is element 24 is shownin FIG. 6, each comprising a flag 26 and a staff 28. Staff 28 is sizedso as to be positionable within opening 22 of its corresponding state.As shown, FIG. 6 represents the Texas state flag and, therefore, thisflag element 24 is particularly used with Texas state piece 20.

State flag elements 24 are disposed to be placed within a frame 30 (seeFIG. 2) within receptacles 32 thereon. The flags of the states may bepositioned alphabetically and may be numbered consecutively 1 through50. Also on frame 30 is a plurality of holders 34, see also FIG. 3,having slots 36 therein for reception of a plurality of tongues 38,which are also depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5. On one side 40 of each tongueis the state name while on the other side 42 of each tongue is the statecapital name. These tongues are placeable alphabetically on frame 30wherein either the state name or the state capital may be shownoutwardly. Each tongue is provided with a numeral 44 which correspondsto its corresponding state numeral 46 in order to aid identification ofthe respective tongue and flag, in case the flag is not recognized. Onthe other side of each flag 26 may be provided information regarding thestate. Such information may include date of its admission into theUnion, various geographic, manufacturing or farming information, and thelike.

Prior to playing the game, all flags 24 and tongues 38 are positioned onframe 30. All state pieces are placed in random fashion to one side ofmap outline 12. The first player selects a tongue 38 at random such astongue 38a on which is shown the name HELENA. He asks the player to hisleft the name of the state of which Helena is the capital. The playermay know the answer as Montana and, if so, one point is scored for himon the scorecard contained in slide 18. This player then selects thestate piece 20 which is Montana and further selects the flag 24a whichis the state flag of Montana. He places the flag in hole 22 of theMontana state piece and then places this piece in its state outline 20bas shown in the map of FIG. 1. For each correct identification of statename, state flag, state piece, and placement in the state outline ofUnited States outline 12, he receives a point which is placed on thescorecard. If he does not know a particular answer for which, of course,he receives no point, he is told the correct answer. For example, he maynot know the state flag which relates to the state. He is aided, in thecase of Montana, by numeral 26 which is affixed to Montana tongueelement 380. This numeral 26 corresponds to a corresponding numeral 26on the flag portion of frame 30 so that he may then find state flag 24a.

The player who has been asked the several questions then selects anothertongue and queries the player to his left in a similar manner as he wasqueried and gives points where correct answers are given and providescorrect answers when the answers are not known or are incorrect. Thegame continues until all state pieces have been positioned in outline12. The player with the maximum number of points wins the game. Inreplaying the game, piece 380 may be turned around so that the statecapital HELENA does not appear on the tongue but that the state nameMONTANA" appears. In such a manner, the game may be changed each time itis played in order to further instruct and to provide variety in itsplaying.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a particularembodiment thereof, it should be realized that various changes andmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A game comprising a board having an outline of the United States anda plurality of space means provided with outlines identifying theseveral states of the United States, plurality of pieces having openingmeans therein and having outlines configured to conform to the states ofthe United States, said pieces correspondmg m number to the plurality ofspace means of said board, each said piece positionable in acorresponding one of said board space means, plurality of flagscorresponding in number to the number of said state pieces and havingstaffs positionable in said opening means of said state pieces andhaving indicia thereon representing the flags of the states of theUnited States,

a frame having a plurality of cylindrical receptacles corresponding innumber to the number of flags for reception of said flag staffs, saidframe further having a plurality of slotted holders, and

a plurality of tongues corresponding in number to the number of saidstate pieces, each of said tongues slidable within each of said slottedholders and having a pair of opposed sides, one of said sides havingindicia representing the capital name of one of the states and the otherof said sides having indicia representing the state name,

whereby a selection of one of said tongues by one player requiresanother player to identify one of said indicia on one of said statepieces corresponding to said selected tongue, to identify one of saidflags corresponding to said selected tongue and to identify said boardspace means corresponding to said selected tongue; said identified statepiece being positioned in said identified board space means, and saidflagstaff of said identified flag being positioned in said opening meansof said identified state piece; said other player being scored for eachcorrect identification of said indicia of said tongue side, saidcorresponding state piece, said corresponding flag, and saidcorresponding board space means.

2. A game as in claim 1 wherein said flags and said tongues each havenumeral indicia thereon, the numeral indicia of each said flag and eachsaid tongue representing the state, state capital or state flag beingthe same to enable further identification of corresponding state piecesand flags.

4 i t l

1. A game comprising a board having an outline of the United States anda plurality of space means provided with outlines identifying theseveral states of the United States, a plurality of pieces havingopening means therein and having outlines configured to conform to thestates of the United States, said pieces corresponding in number to theplurality of space means of said board, each said piece positionable ina corresponding one of said board space means, a plurality of flagscorresponding in number to the number of said state pieces and havingstaffs positionable in said opening means of said state pieces andhaving indicia thereon representing the flags of the states of theUnited States, a frame having a plurality of cylindrical receptaclescorresponding in number to the number of flags for reception of saidflag staffs, said frame further having a plurality of slotted holders,and a pLurality of tongues corresponding in number to the number of saidstate pieces, each of said tongues slidable within each of said slottedholders and having a pair of opposed sides, one of said sides havingindicia representing the capital name of one of the states and the otherof said sides having indicia representing the state name, whereby aselection of one of said tongues by one player requires another playerto identify one of said indicia on one of said state piecescorresponding to said selected tongue, to identify one of said flagscorresponding to said selected tongue and to identify said board spacemeans corresponding to said selected tongue; said identified state piecebeing positioned in said identified board space means, and saidflagstaff of said identified flag being positioned in said opening meansof said identified state piece; said other player being scored for eachcorrect identification of said indicia of said tongue side, saidcorresponding state piece, said corresponding flag, and saidcorresponding board space means.
 2. A game as in claim 1 wherein saidflags and said tongues each have numeral indicia thereon, the numeralindicia of each said flag and each said tongue representing the state,state capital or state flag being the same to enable furtheridentification of corresponding state pieces and flags.